Will Dailey
Today's musician of the week is singer, songwriter Will Dailey
Before: Before Covid hit Will Dailey had tours down the west coast US, France, Germany and China. He was performing regularly, with performances ranging from house concerts and clubs to theaters and festivals. He played studio sessions with multiple musicians and curated concert series at Harpoon Beer, Showcase Superlux and Fenway Park.
Now: In the middle of March all of that was gone and with it 80% of his income. At first he thought Covid would last maybe 2 months, and in true artist fashion, went to work raising money to help other artists and the crew who support the artists: bartenders, sound engineers and security staff. Will said "I really didn’t put a plan together for myself for this to last a year because the emergency of the moment felt so immediate. The artist in me is built to react to that first and foremost. I made it through the summer with a couple of last minute outdoor concerts and some composing work, but now the scariest part is now upon us: a long winter with next to nothing to sustain the winter bills, much less pay for things that have accrued in the past 8 months, like the dental bill I got for an emergency surgery. "
HOPE: "The artist must endure for all to endure. In the modern realm of music performance, composition and distribution, staying on your toes and being creative can only get us so far. Music and music professionals are the ones who make the insane surmountable and our differences part of our strength for our human endeavors. Musicians are resilient, but we need help so that we can be the soundtrack for our nation's recovery. "
Photos: Above, Will performing solo at Boston Opera House and with a band at a club. Below, a photo of Will streaming his music during COVID.
